


A Continuation

by PeriodDramaWriter



Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: Anna and John Bates, Downton Abbey - Freeform, F/M, John Bates - Freeform, anna bates - Freeform, banna - Freeform, season 6
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-23
Updated: 2019-07-11
Packaged: 2020-05-18 14:27:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19336381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PeriodDramaWriter/pseuds/PeriodDramaWriter
Summary: A continuation of every episode of Season 6, starting with 1 and ending with the Christmas special, Banna style. I hope that you all enjoy and if you take a look please comment to let me know what you thought. Thank you!





	1. Season 6 Episode 1

When he walked back into the bedroom that he and Anna shared once he had finished in the bathroom later that night, John felt his heart sink. His wife was still resting on her side whilst clutching a hot water bottle to her abdomen – like she had been when he had left her to go and wash – but now she was sobbing quietly and it pained him a great deal.

When Sergeant Willis had come to Downton that evening with the news that all charges against the two of them had been dropped it had lifted her spirits for a little while – so had the party – but when the two of them had gotten home and the cramps had started up again the sparkle had left her eyes. He knew she blamed herself for the miscarriage.

He knew how she thought.

It wouldn’t have surprised him if, as she laid with her back to him now, she was thinking that if she had taken things a little slower or if she had asked Mrs. Hughes if she could lighten her work-load she wouldn’t have miscarried. He was certain that her miscarriage was through no fault of her own, however, because – to him – she was incapable of fault.

Once he had removed his undershirt and work trousers and sat down on the edge of the bed to pull on his pyjama trousers he rose from the bed again, a sigh escaping his lips as he peeled back the covers and climbed into bed behind Anna. She sniffled and released a shuddering breath when he laced an arm around her, his lips finding her soft shoulder.

‘I’m here now, sweetheart.’ He whispered after covering her hand with his own over the hot water bottle that she was pressing to her abdomen, his chin finding her shoulder so that he could brush kisses against the underside of her jaw and her neck. When he left a kiss on her cheek he tasted the salt from her tears on his tongue and held her closer.

‘John, what if I’m…infertile?’ He heard her ask through her tears before, carefully, she rolled over in his arms and laid her head on his shoulder. ‘What if I can’t have children?’

As she gazed up at him through red, wet eyes he saw the sadness and lack of faith that lived in them and the sight almost made him weep himself. ‘No matter how much I would like to be able to, Anna, I can’t tell you if you’re fertile or not because I’m not a doctor. But, there is _one_ thing that I can tell you with confidence.’ He tightened his hold of her.

She sniffed tearfully. ‘What’s that?’

‘I can tell you that, fertile or infertile, it won’t change how I feel about you one bit.’ He brought his hand to her face to slide an errant strand of hair back beneath her ear, his spirits lifting when she gave him the tiniest smile. ‘I do want a baby with you, I won’t lie and tell you otherwise, but I won’t love you any less if it turns out that it’s not possible.’

‘I…I thought that this time would be different.’ She sighed. ‘The last two times I ended up losing the baby two-to-three weeks after receiving the confirmation letter from the doctor, but this time I lost it six weeks after. With each passing week I grew more and more certain that this time would be different. I felt so stupid when I woke up earlier.’

Hearing her call herself stupid for getting her hopes up sent a stab of pain through him and he pressed his lips to her temple, lingering for a few seconds longer than necessary when he felt her lean into his kiss. ‘I never want you to speak about yourself in that way again, my darling, do you understand me? You were _not_ stupid for getting your hopes up.’

‘I want a baby.’ She whimpered once he had peeled back from her and met her gaze.

‘I know.’ He stroked her back. ‘Let’s not give up hope just yet though, hmm?’

She gave him a gentle nod in response. ‘I do love you, you know.’

He smiled at her when she reached up to caress his cheek with the back of her hand.

‘I love you too.’ He reassured her. ‘And I am so, so proud to be your husband.’

After looking into his eyes for a few seconds she shifted closer to him under their quilt and pressed her lips to his, a quiet giggle escaping her when she felt him suck her lower lip when she began to pull back from him. ‘We’re going to be fine, aren’t we?’ She raised her brow at him, the fatigue that she was feeling evident in her voice whilst she talked.

‘Of course we are.’ He allowed her to snuggle into his side and tangle her leg with one of his once she had lain back down in his embrace again. ‘All that I need to be happy is you.’

She blessed him with a tired smile before murmuring: ‘Me too.’

Before turning off the lamp that was sat on his bedside table he pressed his lips to her own, her breath beating against the side of his neck when she sighed and snuggled down beneath the covers. ‘Night, night, John.’ She said whilst running her fingers through his coarse chest hair, John smiling when he turned his head and kissed her forehead softly.

‘Night, night, Anna.’ He settled with her in his arms and shut his eyes. ‘Pleasant dreams.’


	2. Season 6: Episode 2

John ran the backs of his fingers down Anna's flushed cheek as he laid in silence beside her sleeping form on the night of her return from London, a smile fixed on his lips as he watched her sleep with her head pillowed by his shoulder. Her eyelashes were lying flat against her cheeks, her golden hair still glued to the areas of her face where sweat had formed during their lovemaking. He didn't understand how – even when she was sleeping – she could still be the most perfect woman living. She was just naturally breath-taking.

He had to admit, the last thing he had expected when the two of them had gotten home from Downton earlier that evening was to be pressed against the front door and kissed. It hadn't been an unpleasant experience – being so intimate with his wife could never be anything _but_ pleasant – but her sudden change in mood had surprised him a bit. She had been so down before she and Lady Mary had left for London the previous morning. Ever since the two of them had returned, however, she had been so bouncy and quite playful.

When the two of them had been up at Downton she had teased him all evening. She had found him in the boot room after dinner and walked up behind him, wrapped both of her arms around his middle and left a trail of kisses over his upper back through his jacket. Then, when she had been helping him into his coat before they had begun to walk home, she had risen up onto her tiptoes and nuzzled her nose against the thin hair at the nape of his neck. He had always known that he'd married a temptress, but _that_ had proved it.

She had been the one in control since their return to the cottage that evening. She had been the one to deepen their kisses in the hall. She had been the one to lead him up the stairs to their room. She had been the one to undress him and take him to bed after _he_ had undressed _her_ so that he could make love to her. In the afterglow she had rolled to him and pressed her lips to his cheek before whispering a gentle 'thank you' into his ear. The two of them had then shared one more kiss before she had calmed and drifted off.

As he held her in his arms now, her soft and warm skin pressed against his, he caressed her hipbone with the thumb of one hand and used the fingers on his free hand to stroke her hair. He had always loved the way that the strands slid through the spaces between his fingers with ease. When she shivered he drew the covers further over her and gave the centre of her forehead a lingering kiss, his hold of her tightening before he settled down again and let her snuggle into his warmth. He cherished how affectionate she was.

Even though he knew that she was still hurting over the loss of another of their babies, he also knew that she wasn't allowing her mourning to take over. The Anna that he knew and loved – the Anna that he had come home to at Christmas last year – had come back to Downton with her that afternoon and knowing that made him feel happier than words could express. He just hoped that her happiness lasted this time and that nothing came along to rob her of it. She deserved nothing but happiness for all she had been through.

When he felt the subtle sting of fatigue in the back of his eyes he knew that he had to get some sleep so that he didn't arrive at Downton in the morning looking half-dead and so he turned over a little in order to turn off the lamp on his nightstand, a sigh escaping him when he turned back to his wife and kissed her on the forehead. 'John?' He ran the palm of his hand up and down his wife's bare back when she mumbled his Christian name.

'Yes, sweetheart?' He whispered into the darkness.

'I love you.' She told him before wrapping her leg around his and kissing his neck lightly.

He couldn't help but smile. 'I love you too, Anna. So much.'

'John?' She whispered again after a few minutes had passed.

He chuckled. ' _Yes,_ Anna?'

'Night, night.' She draped her arm over his stomach and settled beneath their covers.

'Night, night, my darling,' He settled down with her and closed his eyes. 'Sweet dreams.'

 


	3. Season 6 Episode 3

 

_**Season 6 Episode 3** _

Anna gazed up at the ceiling of her bedroom whilst combing the fingers of one hand idly through her husband's hair as she laid beneath him in the afterglow of their lovemaking that night, a sigh of happiness escaping her as she stroked his back with her spare hand and was able to feel his breath beating against the side of her neck. She adored it when he permitted her to hold him close to her like this after the two of them had made love.

She adored it when he buried his face in her neck and sighed in satisfaction against her heated skin. She adored it when his rapid breathing slowed and evened out – a sign that he was falling asleep in her arms. She adored everything about holding him to her in the aftermath of their lovemaking and she doubted that that would change. She turned her head towards him when he nuzzled her neck again, deep love for him shining in her eyes.

'Comfortable?' She whispered as she gazed into his eyes whilst pushing a dark strand of sweat-soaked hair off of his forehead, his fatigued chuckle making her heart palpitate.

‘Extremely.' He nodded against her shoulder. 'You'll be the death of me, Mrs. Bates.'

She giggled. 'Might I remind you that _you_ were the one who insisted on an early night?'

'It's your fault for wearing that garter.' He stroked her waist with his fingers.

She tightened her hold of him. 'Glad to see it still has that effect after all these years.'

'My darling, I doubt that it'll ever _stop_ having that effect.' He teased.

The two of them shared a smirk before she caught him in a long and deep kiss, the hand that was in his hair tugging on the strands as her tongue brushed against his. When she brought their kiss to an end she suckled on his lower lip before releasing it, a soft yawn escaping her when she settled beneath him again. 'We should get some sleep.' John said.

'Perhaps you're right.' She nodded before looking at her alarm clock. 'It's past midnight.'

She allowed him to get off of her then, but smiled when he shuffled back into her arms and rested his head on her chest. After turning off the lamp and plunging the bedroom into darkness she pulled the covers further over them, her eyes closing as she gave the top of his head a kiss. 'I love you so much; you know that, don't you?' She sighed quietly.

'Of course I do.' He turned his head to press a kiss to her collarbone. 'I love you too.'

Satisfied with his answer, she settled down with him and started stroking his back once again. In minutes his snores were filling the silence of their bedroom, her heart swelling with love for him as she buried her nose in his hair and breathed in his scent. Whenever she said it to him he told her that she needed to get her eyes tested, but he really was perfect. Not just in his appearance, but in every other sense as well. She treasured him.

He didn't know it yet, but his arm was lying over their unborn child.

A child that she knew the two of them would get to meet.

A child that she knew was going to grow up adoring him just as much as she did.

‘You're going to be the most amazing daddy.' She whispered into the darkness.

And she meant every word.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for not uploading on Monday! I posted on FF.Net but forgot to do it on here! I promise to upload first on here on Monday so that I don’t forget! Nevertheless I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all for reading this chapter!


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